War & Taxes

[lilred_robin]

So that this didn't continue on the RIP SEALs thread


Some of us who are still serving, who have lost people we knew. People we worked with, just gone.. Guys we used to hang out with at Hooters, that sergeant who was all business at work, but invited us joes over for a BBQ on the weekend. He left 3 kids and a young wife...
It's now mandatory to speak to mental health upon coming back.

When something like this (a large incident) happens, the division (or detachment) chaplain will come by, give the same speech we've all heard over and over.. hoping that those who need to talk will actually go visit with them later.
Hoping, that losing so many friends isn't going to send those living into a dark place.


But WTF is right, no matter what.. this economy touches everything we do. Everything. We're replacing civilians with soldiers at our gates, cutting out landscaping contractors and having soldiers cut grass, no big bonuses, getting rid of soldiers, cutting our retirement, our medical coverage, everything.
Yes, we're willing to fight and die for our country's foreign policies, but we also pay taxes. Some soldiers feel a sense of entitlement, think we should be exempt because of what we do.
I feel the whole country, even us soldiers, needs to man the fuck up and pay a little more. The Bush tax cuts weren't supposed to last this long. And it was stupid then.
I'm not a democrat by any means, not socially or fiscally. But even though I was in my teens, I know that our economy was much better off under Clinton. I wasn't old enough to give a shit, but I noticed.

It doesn't even have to be some crazy steep tax hike.
2%
at 40k that would be $800 a year or $67 a month. People pay about that for cigarettes every week.

We have roughly 184M (legal and accounted for) people between 20-60.. working age adults.
Considering over half will fall in between 30-50k income and the number making 80-100k about half of that, and those making 150-250k about half again...
a 2% increase in income tax could yield about 250 billion. Or we could just ask Bill Gates for all the $ in his couch cushions.
250B is about 20% of our deficit. Doesn't put is back in black, but together with the cuts that are already being planned, could definitely put us in a better position globally.

(sorry got very tired and distracted and rushed through last cpl paragraphs. too tired to give a fuck)

This being MY fucking thread, feel free to post random, weakly related posts as well. I give not a shit.

[Doove]

There's no small irony in the fact that the people who seem the most eager to send men and women into combat, all the while acting as if that's what patriotism is all about, are the ones most strident against paying taxes.

Compensate much?

[Guest040616]

Very well said LRR and I thank you for your service!

Setting politics aside for a moment, I would like to expand on her message as well as WTF's. Any reader of the Houston political forums on the P would quickly tell you that I was relentless in making the claim (beginning in the spring of 2003), that GW lost focus upon the perpetrators of 9/11. WTF made a similar claim that was more focused upon how preposterous it was to wage 2 wars while cutting taxes. Whether they agreed or not, they know we made the claim repeatedly and never wavered. 8 years later, we still make the same claim.

The eventual cause and effect of GW having lost focus was that it played a prominent role in the crisis that shook the financial world on September 15, 2008. I will give WTF credit, he predicted long beforehand that fighting a war on two fronts while lowering taxes was a recipe for disaster. Ladies and gentlemen, the unstable financial markets we are experiencing today resulted from several factors. Prominent among those factors was GW's dubious decision to fight costly wars on two fronts while implementing the Bush tax cuts.

You guys can rant and rave all you want about how Obama has done this and that. I will agree, Obama could have and should have done more. But common sense should tell you that if you are going to fight a war, you will need increased revenue. WTF was correct all along, you can't do one without the other. Putting our soldiers in harms way is the ultimate sacrifice and LRR knows first hand that I truly appreciate her and her sacrifice. As far as I am concerned if we are going to put our soldeirs in the line of fire, those of us back home should be willing to do our part as well. We should give them the resources to do the job properly.

You can't provide the necessary resources by cutting taxes! In layman's terms: YOU CAN'T PROPERLY FIGHT A FUCKING WAR TRYING TO CUT CORNERS! Common sense should tell you that! If you do, you are destined to eventually lose the war or lose your economic stability. In a worst case scenario, you lose both! If you are going to fight a war, give our soldeirs the resources to fight to win. It is the very least that we can do!

Repeat after me! By its very nature, war is NOT a money saving proposition!

[Whirlaway]

If your argument is that the Bush tax cuts should be sunsetted and the additional revenue goes to pay military and war operations and/or pay down debt; I am all in ! And I think most Americans would be as well. But that isn't what the Democrats (and Obama) have proposed.

What the left wants is the the additional revenue to continue funding bigger, expanded, more intrusive government - the tax cuts going into general revenue funds. And I, like many Americans, say hell no to that!

I wondered, during the recent debt debate, why a moderate Republican didn't propose sunsetting the tax cuts, but with the requirement that the additional revenue would only go to pay down our debt (read NOT deficit) only ! I think that would play well with moderate Americans and Independents....It would be a smart play for Romney. And would co opt some of the Tea Party people.

Originally Posted by bigtex

Very well said LRR and I thank you for your service!

Setting politics aside for a moment, I would like to expand on her message as well as WTF's. Any reader of the Houston political forums on the P would quickly tell you that I was relentless in making the claim (beginning in the spring of 2003), that GW lost focus upon the perpetrators of 9/11. WTF made a similar claim that was more focused upon how preposterous it was to wage 2 wars while cutting taxes. Whether they agreed or not, they know we made the claim repeatedly and never wavered. 8 years later, we still make the same claim.

The eventual cause and effect of GW having lost focus was that it resulted in the crisis that shook the financial world on September 15, 2008. I will give WTF credit, he predicted long beforehand that fighting a war on two fronts while lowering taxes was a recipe for disaster. Ladies and gentlemen, the unstable financial markets we are experiencing today resulted from GW's decision to fight costly wars on two fronts while implementing the Bush tax cuts.

You guys can rant and rave all you want about how Obama has done this and that. I will agree, Obama could have and should have done more. But common sense should tell you that if you are going to fight a war, you will need increased revenue. WTF was correct all along, you can't do one without the other. Putting our soldiers in harms way is the ultimate sacrifice and LRR knows first hand that I truly appreciate her and her sacrifice. As far as I am concerned if we are going to put our soldeirs in the line of fire, those of us back home should be willing to do our part as well. We should give them the resources to do the job properly.

You can't provide the necessary resources by cutting taxes! In layman's terms: YOU CAN'T PROPERLY FIGHT A FUCKING WAR TRYING TO CUT CORNERS! Common sense should tell you that! If you do, you are destined to eventually lose the war or lose your economic stability. In a worst case scenario, you lose both! If you are going to fight a war, give our soldeirs the resources to fight to win. It is the very least that we can do!

Repeat after me! By its very nature, war is NOT a money saving proposition!

[Iaintliein]

Let's do a rewind.
I've got no problem with going back to the tax rates in effect when W took office. As long as the actual expenditures of each and every federal agency and department is rolled back to where it was at that time. That means no Obamacare, no medicare drug benefit, no "no child left behind" to name a few.

Then let's freeze the tax rates and spending levels for a decade or so.

But don't count on the dotcom bubble to miraculously re-appear.

How about it those on the left, this is my " bipartisan" offer.

[Whirlaway]

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

Let's do a rewind.
I've got no problem with going back to the tax rates in effect when W took office. As long as the actual expenditures of each and every federal agency and department is rolled back to where it was at that time. That means no Obamacare, no medicare drug benefit, no "no child left behind" to name a few.

Then let's freeze the tax rates and spending levels for a decade or so.

But don't count on the dotcom bubble to miraculously re-appear.

How about it those on the left, this is my " bipartisan" offer.

[waverunner234]

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

Let's do a rewind.
I've got no problem with going back to the tax rates in effect when W took office. As long as the actual expenditures of each and every federal agency and department is rolled back to where it was at that time. That means no Obamacare, no medicare drug benefit, no "no child left behind" to name a few.

Then let's freeze the tax rates and spending levels for a decade or so.

But don't count on the dotcom bubble to miraculously re-appear.

How about it those on the left, this is my " bipartisan" offer.

How about raising the minimum wage to a level where it is possible to live of it AND pay taxes. Then you can also get rid of this idiot "Earned Income Credit" and EVERYONE pays tax. (Lol maybe except providers, but that's only because it is not legal yet)

[Iaintliein]

LOL, a little highjack there Mr. "Gee I Love the Nanny State"?

No problem. Let's go ahead and raise the minimum wage by whatever percentage you want. . . as long as unemployment benefits are cut by the same percentage. Quid pro quo. We can even call it the "Waverunner Bill" so everyone affected will know who to thank!

Of course, if getting everybody to pay is your goal, why not a federal sales tax instead of an income tax? All the wealth in the world doesn't actually do anything until it's spent. Those who consume more, pay more, those who are frugal, pay less.

[Eccie Addict]

Give more money to people that obviously don't know what the hell they are doing with money?

Don't know if I'm for that...

[WTF]

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

Let's do a rewind.
I've got no problem with going back to the tax rates in effect when W took office. As long as the actual expenditures of each and every federal agency and department is rolled back to where it was at that time. .

How do you roll back SS and Medicare spending?

Do you tell new people that retire, Fuck you. You have to wait until so and so dies and then you can have his benifits.

Just how does you lil plan work?

[Whirlaway]

You have to pass it before you get to know what's in it and how it will work WTF !

Originally Posted by WTF

How do you roll back SS and Medicare spending?

Do you tell new people that retire, Fuck you. You have to wait until so and so dies and then you can have his benifits.

Just how does you lil plan work?

[waverunner234]

Originally Posted by Iaintliein

LOL, a little highjack there Mr. "Gee I Love the Nanny State"?

No problem. Let's go ahead and raise the minimum wage by whatever percentage you want. . . as long as unemployment benefits are cut by the same percentage. Quid pro quo. We can even call it the "Waverunner Bill" so everyone affected will know who to thank!

Of course, if getting everybody to pay is your goal, why not a federal sales tax

Lol, Minimum wage in the 'Nanny state" were I was born is currently € 1.435,20 per month. (comes down to $10.00 per hour)
and yes there is a sales tax currently 19% for everything, only first necessary stuff like food and medicine is 6%

[lilred_robin]

Originally Posted by WTF

How do you roll back SS and Medicare spending?

Do you tell new people that retire, Fuck you. You have to wait until so and so dies and then you can have his benifits.

Just how does you lil plan work?

Yes.

Even us born in the early 80s have the capacity to be responsible and put away $ for later in life.
And if we don't, we're fucking stupid and deserve what happens. I'm not counting on SS or medicare to help me 35 years from now.

And as for providers paying taxes,
yes.
Legal or not, I still filed a return. Why add tax evasion to things we could get busted for. Wasn't that how they got Capone?
Of course I listed myself as a "consultant" and only payed taxes on what actually went into my bank account... ^_^
But I payed taxes on about 75% of my income (I think my 2008 return had around 85k listed. It's on a hard drive in my storage somewhere...)